kkarlsen Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 (edited) OK so I'm jumping right into this GB. I wasn't even aware it was coming. I think the subject is OK with the 'Cold War Jets' theme, as this is NATO 1980? Last week I got this crazy idea of making a Danish F-16 as we are celebrating their 40 year Jubilee (receiving the first of many January 1980). ET-204 at AB Skrydstrup, January 1980. Nice 80'ish photo of the first F-16B in Denmark - ET-204. In 1975, Denmark purchased 48 F-16 aircraft with the option of purchasing an additional ten aircraft. The acquisition was part of the joint purchase of 348 F-16 aircraft made by Denmark, Norway, Belgium and the Netherlands. A purchase that was then called the "arms trade of the century". The option of 10 aircraft was used in the 1980's, and a number of replacement kits have been purchased throughout the years for damaged aircraft. In total, Denmark has had 77 F-16 aircraft delivered, which have been used by four squadrons at Aalborg Airport and Skrydstrup Airport. After some research and not being able to get my hands on either the old Hasegawa F-16A or the Tamiya 'Thunderbirds' F-16C (for at resonable price). I finally ordered AFV's F-16B Block 20....(Was lucky, found a box of this 2012 kit in France for a bargain price) The kit has got resin parts tor an early F-16, including early tail, narrow wheels and non bulged doors. It's got options of both the small and large intake too. From the top of my head, I will need the early horizontal stabs from Quickboost and the wheel bay from Aires. As I'm not very knowledgeable regarding Jets I will have to rely on experts on the subject. You are very welcome to add your 'insight' on the early F-16B's. Cheers: Kent Edited April 26, 2023 by kkarlsen Cheetah11, reconspit, Trak-Tor and 15 others 18 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradG Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 Nice one. kkarlsen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenshb Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 (edited) Good to see an early F-16 - I will save my two-seat F-16 for the Trainers GB later in the year. To build an early F-16, the Hasegawa kit will certainly be the easier path. Starting with the AFV Club/Academy kit, you will need to make more changes to the kit depending on how accurate you want to make it: The instrument panels in the AFV kit are representative of the F-16D or F-16B MLU (which are essentially the same as the D), whereas you will need to modify them to Block 1 standard if you want the black radome typical of the first batch delivered. The Block 5 airframes were all with the grey radome. The wheels in the kit may not be correct for the period - Res-Kit have the correct style early F-16 wheels: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/RS32-0023?result-token=7BiLy The Danish F-16s do not use the extended parabrake housing provided as a resin casting. The forward part of the tailfin base is correct for an A/B however. From the sloping panel line underneath the rudder hinge line backwards you will need to reshape it as per your pictures. Do not use the rear plastic parts that come in the kit - they are only appropriate for the C/D that has a larger tailfin base than the A/B. Maybe you can swap the tailfin with someone who has a Hasegawa kit they want to upgrade as that would provide a simpler basis to work with. Depending on the issue of the kit, you may only have to add the large rectangular antenna. The top of the tailfin will need to be reshaped. The Taiwanese F-16s are similar to the C/D in that the RWR fairing is wedge shaped. If you look directly above the rudder on the A/B you will see that the fin bulges rather than following the aerofoil of the fin. You don't have to get resin horizontal stabs - the kit ones can be cropped to the right size and their leading and trailing edges sharpened. The trailing edge should be flush with the airbrakes, the leading edge parallel to the larger stabs, but further back - check panel lines on the kit to find the right distance and then finally, crop the ends to eliminate the chamfer. You will need to add some antennas under the air intake for the Block 1 - a blade antenna as well as a black oval "lump". The Temperature probe was also on the air intake (below the red navigation light on the air intake). The nav lights did not have the strengthening plates on the intakes, so remove them from the kit. Speaking of intakes, Zactomodels https://www.zactomodels.com/ has a resin NSI (Normal Shock Inlet) intake that corrects shape problems with the Academy intake that I can heartily recommend. If you want to load your model with Sidewinders, the AIM-9J would be approriate for the period. The kit comes with AIM-9L/M that came later. I believe the Kitty Hawk F-5E has this type of missile. Edit: The Kitty Hawk F-5E kit provides separate fronts for the missiles, but for the -9B or -9L/M only. KASL Hobby makes a resin AIM-9P4 (item no K32012) that is externally similar to the -9E/-9J/-9N. The "stepped" missile launchers would be the ones to use. The rectangular ones came in the mid/late 90s for the European airframes together with AMRAAM capability. Do not use the photoetched strengthening plates for the upper wingroots - this was a later modification - mid/late 80s. That's all I can think of for the moment. Edited May 12, 2020 by jenshb kkarlsen and Supersonic 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkarlsen Posted March 1, 2020 Author Share Posted March 1, 2020 Thanks for the updates Jenshb. I'm aware of the major issues you are pointing out and I will approach them as they come. Right now I'm working on the tail, cutting away the parapack. This issue has made a lot of modelers withhold from even starting the early danish build, but it doesn't seem to be a insurmountable conversion. I didn't know of the tail fin top issue, I will look into that right away. I was wondering if I could use the larger horizontal stabs from the kit, that's terrific news! No weapons on this one, as I want to open up some of the panels and hatches... I'm really not sure what version I want to build, the 1980's factory Block 5-10 or the later MLU. I will have to dig deeper into my research before I decide this... Who knows, I may even have to drop out of the GB if I decide to go for the MLU... Cheers: Kent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkarlsen Posted March 6, 2020 Author Share Posted March 6, 2020 First small 'baby steps' on this build.. The Resin tail has been 'carved' out and I have started rebuilding the interior. Long ways still to go... Kent Starfighter, F`s are my favs, TorbenD and 16 others 19 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheetah11 Posted March 6, 2020 Share Posted March 6, 2020 Wow. Great start Kent kkarlsen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenshb Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 Some baby steps Kent... Should be good this. kkarlsen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain Posted March 7, 2020 Share Posted March 7, 2020 Great start Kent - really looking forward to seeing what you make of this! Iain Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 I'd love to follow your build but my antivirus program is getting crazy when it comes to your linked photos and won't let me see them... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkarlsen Posted March 13, 2020 Author Share Posted March 13, 2020 Just a quick update on this build. Some aftermarket parts have arrived to use (or not) for this build. Aires landing gear bays. The engine and trolley parts from the Tamiya kit, was generously donated by Nick (Cheetah11). I will be using these parts to attempt to recreate the F100PW220 engine for this build. I've been cutting the kit to pieces and now I'm trying to get everything back together... I've decided to open up the right side of the model and leaving the left side intact (two in one model) For the 'maintenance side of the build, I've ordered some 'accessories' from Videoaviation. Cheers: Kent scott_t, Greg W, Madmax and 14 others 17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phartycr0c Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 As always Kent, lost for words. The ability to turn a normal kit into a unique subject is astounding. Keep up the great work. kkarlsen 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkarlsen Posted March 13, 2020 Author Share Posted March 13, 2020 Thanks Dave, I'm already pretty sure, I will be at this for a long time... Kent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenshb Posted March 13, 2020 Share Posted March 13, 2020 If you're making a Block 1-10 airframe from the early 80s I think the engine would be a -100 without the probe on the centrebody... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kkarlsen Posted March 14, 2020 Author Share Posted March 14, 2020 11 hours ago, jenshb said: the engine would be a -100 without the probe on the centrebody Yeah but I'm in contact with some of the people who has been working on the F-16's. The one I'm building is the only danish F-16 which had it's engine replaced by a F100PW220. Kent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jenshb Posted March 14, 2020 Share Posted March 14, 2020 1 hour ago, kkarlsen said: Yeah but I'm in contact with some of the people who has been working on the F-16's. The one I'm building is the only danish F-16 which had it's engine replaced by a F100PW220. Kent According to Wikipedia, the F100-PW 220 was introduced in 1986. When did the Danish Viper get the 220? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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